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The interfacility transfer of critically ill or injured patients by pre-hospital advanced life support practitioners, in South Africa is a
regular occurrence. Formal regulations related to critical care retrieval (CCR) in South Africa, have been found to be non-specific on
aspects such as practitioner training, experience and minimum equipment standards for dedicated retrieval programmes. Currently, there is
no universally accepted international or South African CCR definition. Under the auspices of the Emergency Care Society of South Africa (ECSSA),
the Critical Care Retrieval Working Group (CCRWG) have aimed to define CCR within the South African context.
The CCRWG performed a literature search to determine the key aspects of CCR standards elsewhere. A draft definition was formulated and circulated
to the CCRWG members for commentary. Following a consensus meeting by the CCRWG a definition was agreed upon and subsequently presented to local
and international key role players in the field of emergency and critical care for endorsement. Click here to access a
more detailed article on the definition of CCT.
CCR, as defined by the CCRWG, outlines five equally important aspects namely: patient population, case selection, dedicated CCR crew, dedicated
CCR equipment, quality management and training. These elements are depicted in the infographic on this page.
Defining what CCR is, is a necessary departure point for further research endeavours towards developing a core curriculum and practice standards.
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